Echl Expected To Approve Norfolk Entry

Hampton's Bid For Hockey Franchise Nears Death

Preliminary agreements have been reached and all appears in readiness for Norfolk to become the sixth member of the East Coast Hockey League.

Owner Blake Cullen of New York City expects his expansion franchise to receive approval to ice a team for the 1989-90 season when the league's owners meet this Saturday in Roanoke.

"We're at a point where all we need now is to get a mailbox, a telephone, and start doing business," said Cullen after meeting with director Bill Luther of Norfolk Scope on Tuesday. "We want to be in business by mid-March."

The entrance of Norfolk into the ECHL would all but kill an attempt by several Hampton businessmen to place a team in the Hampton Coliseum.

The ECHL provides 50-mile radius protection for its members, meaning no new ECHL team can operate within 50 miles of an existing franchise. Cullen said he would insist on receiving 50-mile protection.

"I need 50 miles or I'm not going to get in," said Cullen. "I hope the people (of Hampton) don't get mad at us, but it's a business decision. Two teams in the area just won't work."

The major stumbling block in Hampton appears to be the high cost of doing business with the Hampton Coliseum.

According to figures obtained by the Daily Press, coliseum director Andy Greenwell met recently with representatives of the Hampton group and asked for a season rental of $199,055, plus 8 per cent in various taxes. The single-game rental, based on a 31-game home season, would be $6,934. Greenwell could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

"I think the coliseum people are politely saying they don't want hockey," said Pat Kelly, commissioner of the ECHL. "That's just too much.

"Arena rentals in this league range from $1,500 per game in Johnstown (Pa.) to $3,000 in Carolina (Winston-Salem).

"Anybody would be a fool to pay that much. I wish we could get Hampton in, but it doesn't look like we can do that."

John Baker, owner of the Carolina Thunderbirds, said the owners would like to talk Cullen out of requiring 50-mile exclusion rights in hope the Hampton group can work out a favorable rental agreement with Greenwell.

"We don't want to cut any city out of the ECHL," said Baker. "I don't think Blake realizes what a rivalry with Hampton would mean to him.

"But if he insists on the protection, we (the owners) would have to give it to him. A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush."

Cullen, who said he expects to sign a contract with Scope after this weekend's meeting in Roanoke, refused to give any details of his contract talks with Luther. But it's believed his rental fee will average under $4,000 per game.

"Bill understands our needs and we understand he needs revenue," said Cullen. "He needs bodies in the building.

"We don't have the contract nailed down, but I don't anticipate any problems. He showed us a list of available dates and there are a bunch of Fridays and Saturdays.

"We want to make Friday the hockey night in Norfolk with a few Saturdays thrown in."